[Adopted 2-16-2021]
No speed hump shall be installed or established within a public
way, except upon petition to the Town Council signed by at least 2/3
of the property owners (as listed with the West Springfield Board
of Assessors) within the impacted segment of a proposed speed hump
street. When there are multiple property owners, the signature of
one shall be sufficient to count that property towards the required two-thirds.
Said petition shall be referred by the Clerk of the Council to the
Department of Public Works, Fire Department, and Police Department
for review. Each request must provide the name of the street for which
the speed humps are requested and the boundaries of the intended street
segment to be impacted. Each petition will be reviewed by the Town
Council based upon its own merits. For purposes of this section, "impacted
segment" shall mean 300 feet to either side of the zone proposed by
the residents for the location of the hump(s), or to the nearest fully
signalized intersection or end of the street in that direction, whichever
comes first. All correspondence and communication with residents regarding
the petition and process shall be through the Town Council and its
office.
The Department of Public Works, upon receiving any such petition,
shall, within 30 days, report to the Town Council whether, in the
Department's judgment, the proposed speed hump location conforms to
the most current edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control
Devices for Streets and Highways ("MUTCD") issued by the U.S. Department
of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, West Springfield
Ordinances, Traffic Orders, and good engineering practice. Within
30 days, the Police Department and Fire Department shall report to
the Town Council any concerns regarding the proposed speed hump, including
potential impacts on the daily and emergency operations of those departments.
In order to be eligible for speed humps pursuant to this article,
a street must have a Roadway Functional Classification of "Local Road"
as shown on the most recent "Roadway Functional Classification" map
on file with the DPW and must have a posted or de facto speed limit
of 30 miles per hour or less.
A.
Before any order to install or establish a speed hump shall be passed,
a written notice of the intention of the Town Council to install or
establish a speed hump shall be given by publication in a local newspaper
of general circulation once in each of two successive weeks, the first
publication to be not less than 14 days before the day of the hearing
and sent by mail, postage prepaid, to all property owners within a
300-foot radius of the impacted segment of the street under review
for speed hump installation, and such notice shall specify the time
and place for such hearing before the Town Council.
B.
After the hearing has been held, the Town Council may proceed to
act upon an order for the installation or establishment of a speed
hump which shall be approved by a majority vote.
Speed humps and related signage and pavement marking will be
installed in conformance with the applicable specifications in the
most current editions of:
A.
The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways
("MUTCD") issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal
Highway Administration;
B.
The Massachusetts Project Development and Design Guide issued by
the Massachusetts Department of Transportation; and
C.
Any applicable standards on file with the West Springfield Department
of Public Works.
Residents submitting a petition pursuant to § 218-43 may request that a temporary portable rubber speed hump with portable signs on stands and no pavement markings be installed anytime between May 1 and July 15 (to allow for removal by October 15), before the installation of a permanent speed hump as a temporary trial period. The temporary humps will remain in place for a period of 90 days. If, at the conclusion of the trial period, there are not written objections from more than one-half of the property owners within the impacted segment of the proposed speed hump, then the permanent speed humps shall be installed as weather and climate conditions permit. Any written objections from property owners must be filed in writing with the Town Council within the ninety-day period following completion of the speed hump installation.
Speed humps may be ordered removed by majority vote of the Town Council only after notice and public hearing in a manner consistent with § 218-46.
